Ignition apparatus



May 9, 1933. c. H. DAVIS, JR

IGNITION APPARATUS Filed Nov. '7, 1931 Patented May 9, 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT FFICE CHARLES HALL DAVIS, JR., OF ANDERSON, INDIANA,ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY CORPORATION, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A. CORPORATIONOF DELAWARE IGNITION APPARATUS Application filed November 7, 1931.

This invention relates to ignition apparatus for internal combustionengines and more particularly for engines having a relative'large numberof spark gaps to be fired during each explosion period as comparedwithethe" number of explosion periods during each engine cycle. Oneexample of an internal combustion engine to which the present inventionmay be applied is an engine having four explosion periods and requiringthat four spark gaps be fired during each explosion period. Such anengine might be a' four cylinder engine having four spark gaps'in eachcylinder or an eight cylinder engine having two spark gaps in eachcylinder, the cylinders of the eight cylinder engine being arranged tofire in pairs at the same instant. In either example four spark gapswould be fired during each one of the four spark periods which occurduring a cycle of operation of the engine.

It is particularly an object of the present invention to provide anignition timer and distributor unit for engines of the type re ferredto, said unit being operated by a single shaft which drives a singletimer cam and a single distributor rotor cooperating with a singledistributor head. The disclosed embodiment of the present inventioncomprises a distributor head having an outer and inner row of concentricposts the outer row of distributing posts being equal in number to theproduct of the number of explosion periods during an engine cycle andthe number of spark gaps to be fired at each explosion period of theengine, the inner row of posts being equal in number to the number ofspark gaps fired during each explosion period. The distributor headcooperates with a rotor carrying distributor conductors equal in numberto the number of spark gaps fired during each explosion period, thesedistributing conductors bridging gaps between the inner row of posts andcertain posts of the outer row of posts at each explosion period of theengine. This distributor cooperates with spark generating means havingsparking impulse terminals equal in number to the number of spark gapsto be fired at each explosion period, said sparking Serial No. 533,601.

impulse terminals being connected respectively with the inner row ofdistributor posts.

iturt er objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of thepresent invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figs. 1 and 2 constitute a wiring diagram of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. l the cylinders of an eight cylinder engine aredesignated by numbers l to 8 respectively, and these cylinders arearranged in two blocks, the left hand block containing cylinders l, 3, 5and 7 and the right hand block, cylinders 2, 4, 6 and 8. Each enginecylinderhas two spark gaps A and B. The blocks are arranged so that theopposed cylinders will fire in pairs at the same instant. If the engineis a two cycle, eight cylinder dual i nition engine tour spark plugswill be required each 90 of engine shaft revolution; and if the engineis a four cycle, eight cylinder dual ignition engine, four sparks willbe required each 180 of engineshaft revolution. The timer distributorunit is the same for both types of engines, the distributor shaftopercoil primaries P1, P2 and P3, P4. These ""aries P1 to P i cooperaterespectively h secondaries S1 to S4. The pair of primary coils P1, P2 isconnected by wire 30 connected with terminal 31 connected by leer"spring conductor 32 with circuit breaker lever 33 pivoted at 34: havinga rubbing lock cooperating with cam 24 and having a contact 36cooperating with a stationary contact 37 grounded at 38. The contacts 36and 37 are shunted by a condenser 39. Similarly the pair of primarycoils P3, P4 is connected by wire 40 with terminal 41 connected by leafspring conductor 42 with circuit breaker lever 43 pivoted at 44 having arubbing block 45 cooperating with cam 24 and having a contact 46cooperating with a stationary contact 47 grounded at 48. The contacts 46and 47 are shunted by a condenser 49.

The rotor block 50 carries rotor conductors R1, R2, R3 and R4 which movein a circular path between two concentric rows of distributor posts, theinner row being designated at 51 and the outer row being designated at52. Each post 51 of the inner row has a special indicia to indicate towhich secondary coil it is connected. It is apparent that posts 51numbered 81 to 84 respectively are connected respectively with secondarycoils S1 to S4. The outer row of posts 52 are each designated by aspecial indicia which indicates to which spark plug that post isconnected and how that post is supplied with a sparking impulse.Assuming for example, that the spark gaps A and B of cylinders #1 andspark gaps A and B of cylinder #2 are to be fired at the same instant,and that the cam 24 rotates clockwise as indicated by arrow 27, thecircuit breaker rubbing blocks 35 and 45 will be operated uponsimultaneously by diametrically opposite lobes of cam 24 to effect theseparation of pairs of contacts 36, 37 and 46, 47 thereby causin foursparking impulses to be generated su stantial y simultaneously in thefour secondaries S1 to S4. At that instant, the rotors R1, R2, R3 and R4will be located as shown in the drawing respectively opposite posts 51#83, 51 #84, 51 #81 and 51 #82. These members R1, R2, R3 and R4 willtherefore conduct sparking impulses to four distributor posts 52 whichare marked, respectively, 1A-S3-R1, 1BS4R2, 2AS1-R3 and 2BS2R4. Indicia1AS3R1 indicates that that post is connected to spark plug 1A that asparking impulse 1A is generated in secondary S3 and is conducted byrotor conductor R1. Indicia 1BS4-R2 similarly indicates that that postis to be connected with spark plug 1B and that a sparking impulse forthat spark plug is generated in secondary S4 and is connected by rotorR2. With this explanation, the meanings of other indicia applied toposts 52 should be entirely clear.

It is thereby apparent that the present invention contemplates that thenumber of distributor posts 51 be equal to the number of spark gaps tobe fired during each explosion period, that the number of distributorposts 52 be equal to the total number of spark gaps to be fired duringan engine cycle, that the rotor carry as many distributing conductorarms as there are posts 51. and that at each explosion period thesedistributing conductor arms bridge gaps between all of the posts 51 andcertain groups of posts 52. It will be noted that the sparking impulseterminal posts 51 #81, 51 #82, 51 #83, 51 #84 and the distributing armsR1, R2, R3 and R4 are so arranged that, coincidentally with thedischarge of consecutive sparking impulses, each arm is presented to thesparking impulse terminal posts in succession.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Ignition apparatus for internal oombustion engines having E explosionperiods during a cycle and comprising in combination, means fordistributing sparking impulses to S (a plurality of) spark gaps at eachexplosion period of the engine, sai means including a distributor headhaving outer and inner concentric rows of distribu- I tor posts, theouter row of posts numbering E m S and each connected to a spark gap,the inner row of posts numbering S, and including a rotor rotating onerevolution during each engine cycle and having S distributing conductorsall of which bridge gaps between all of the posts of the inner row ofposts and certain posts of the outer row at each explosion period of theengine; and engine controlled spark generating means having S terminalsconnected respec tively with the posts of the inner row.

2. Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines having E explosionperiods during a cycle and comprising in combinetion, means fordistributing sparking impulses to S (a plurality of) spark gaps at eachexplosion period of the engine, said means including a distributor headhaving. outer and inner concentric rows of distribufor posts, the outerrow of posts numbering E m S and each connected to a spark gap, theinner row of posts numbering S, and

including a rotor rotating one revolutionz during each engine cycle andhaving S distributing conductors all of which bridge gaps between all ofthe posts of the inner row of posts and certain posts of the outer rowat each explosion period of the engine, 1

and engine controlled spark generating means comprising G (a pluralityof) groups of ignition coils, each group having sparking impulseterminals, G circuit 3. Ignition apparatus for an internal combustionengine having four explosion periods during a cycle comprising incombination, means for distributing sparking impulses to four spark gapsduring each explosion period, said means including an outer row ofsixteen posts each connected with a spark gap, and a concentric innerrow of four equidistant posts and including a rotor having fourconductors for bric ging between all of the inner row of postsrespectively and certain posts of the outer row at each explosionperiod; two groups of two ignition coils; a current source; twointerrupters each controlling connections between the current source andtwo coils; a timer cam having four lobes; and a shaft rotating onceduring each engine cycle for driving the cam and rotor.

4. Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines having a pluralityof spark gaps to be supplied with sparking impulses at each explosionperiod comprising, in combination, means for generating sparkingimpulses and having a plurality of terminals, engine operated circuitbreaker means for controlling the sparking impulse generators, adistributor head carrying a circular row of posts connected respectivelywith spark gaps, a plurality of posts of substantially the same width asthe spark gap posts of the head, and arranged concentrlcally therewith,and connected respectively with terminals of the spark generating means,a plurality of distributing arms arranged to pass between the first andsecond mentioned posts but out of contact therewith in order todistribute sparking impulses from the second mentioned posts to certainof the spark gap posts, said arms and said second mentioned posts beingso arranged that, coincidentally with the discharge of consecutivesparkingimipulses, each arm is presented to said second mentioned postsin succession.

5. Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines comprising, incombination, a distributor for distributin sparking impulses to aplurality of spark gaps to be fired in groups simultaneously at eachexplosion period, said distributor comprising concentric rows ofdistributor posts, one row of posts being connected respectively withspark gaps of the engine, sparking ii pulse generating means havingterminals connected with another row of distributor posts, and saiddistributor including a plurality of distributing conductor arms soarranged with respect to the posts that, at each explosion period, thearms cooperate with adjacent posts connected with spark gaps and withadjacent posts connected with sparking impulse generator terminals.

6. Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines comprising, incombination,

a distributor for distributing sparking impulses to a plurality of sparkgaps to be fired in groups simultaneously at each explosion period, saiddistributor comprising concentric rows of distributor posts, one row ofposts bein connected respectively with spark gaps of the engine,sparking impulse generating means having terminals connected withanother row of distributor posts, and said distributor including a plurality of distributing conductor arms so arranged with respect to theposts that, at each explosion period, the arms cooperate with adjacentposts connected with spark gaps and with adjacent posts connected withsparking impulse generator terminals and that said arms each cooperatewith the sparking impulse generator terminal posts in succession atsuccessive explosion periods.

7. Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines comprising, incombination, a distributor for distributing sparking inipulses to aplurality of spark gaps to be fired in groups simultaneously at eachexplosion period, said distributor comprising concentric rows ofdistributor posts, one row of posts being connected respectively withspark gaps of the engine, sparking impulse generating means havingterminals connected with another row of distributor posts, and saiddistributor including a plurality of groups of distributing conductorarms each group including a plurality of arms which cooperate withgroups of adjacent distributor posts, and each arm of each group of armscooperating with the sparking impulse generator terminal posts insuccession at explosive periods.

8. Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines comprising, incombination, a distributor for distributing sparking impulses to aplurality of spark gaps to be fired in groups simultaneously at eachexplosion period, said d stributor comprising concentric rowsdistributor posts, one row of posts being connected respectively withspark gaps of the engine, sparking impulse generating means havingterminals connected with another row of distributor posts, and saiddistributor including a plurality of groups of distributing conductorarms each group including a plurality of arms which cooperate withgroups of adjacent. distributor pos s, the groups of spark gap postswith wl ch a cup of arms cooperates alternating with groups of spark gapposts with which another group of arms cooperates, and each arm of eachgroup of arms cooperating with the sparking impulse generator terminalposts in succession at successive explosion periods.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

CHARLES HALL DAVIS, JR.

